DIYbanter - View Single Post - VOM -- How to use

dpb

wrote:
On Jun 9, 12:08 pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,

"DanG" wrote:
The upside down U - Omega is a continuity tester. DO NOT have it
in this position if there is any current involved, it will fry the
meter. This setting demands a battery inside your tester. When
you touch the two leads together you should read wide open.
I assume you want to measure AC current in the house. Set it on
ACV. Set the scale multiplier to be able to read what you think
should be in the circuit. If you are measuring 110 volts, make
sure you are on a scale that has 110 about in the middle.
DCV same game, direct current - e.g., automotive
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Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)

Let's not confuse the OP anymore than he already is. Micro amps *is*
current. So he *should* use that setting for current -- but by putting
the probes in series with the flow of electricity. Now you tell him to
check for the presence of current, he should set it on voltage. Sorry,
but voltage and current are decidedly not the same. Using incorrect
terminology isn't going to clear up any confusion.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh, man, Now I am getting a headache.....OUCH...GRIN

So, looking at my meter I see ACV. At the top of the settings for it
is 250 with a subset of 1KV (I guess).

At the bottom of the ACV area is 10.

So I plug my red plug into AC 1KV and my black into COM and set the
dial at 100 in the ACV area? So, then to measure a house current, I
touch the black lead to the black wire and the red to the white wire
(that's my choice in my "current" problem). So, what should the
needle on the dial do during this if all is well?

You need the dial indication at whatever in the ACV range is greater
than 120 -- probably 250 or 300 or something like that. If you set it
at 100, since AC household voltage is 120 VAC, it will "peg" the dial to
the right -- no damage done, and you'll know you have voltage but it
won't be an accurate measurement. Might as well get in the habit from
the start.

When you're on ACV you're measuring "VOLTAGE", not current. (And, as
I've posted in several responses, you can't measure household currents
w/ this meter -- it doesn't have the range required).

As for what the needle should do, if you have voltage, it will go to the
value corresponding to roughly 120 assuming you're on a scale that isn't
overranged. If there's no voltage present, it will stay at zero. (In a
really unusual case of something else bizarre going on you could get
another reading besides those two, but that's highly unlikely in this
case -- you're simply trying to find out if the circuit is on or off...

HTH

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